Vital job gardeners need to do to their soil now to protect it over winter

Brits are being urged to complete one simple task to keep their soil in tip-top shape and prevent weeds from taking over during the colder months - and it costs as little as 89p

The chilly nights are creeping in - and your garden needs protection.

Don't let all of your effort in turning your drab backyard into a floral paradise go to waste. October is the perfect time to start prepping your garden ahead of the frosty winter, which can wreck havoc on your soil health; the wet conditions we're bound to endure will also help those pesky weeds thrive once again.

However, experts say a hack that costs as little as 89p could keep your soil full of nutrients while simultaneously suppressing weeds from growing. The trick? Green manure: a plant-based version of animal manure.

"Most green manure grows over winter when the ground is free of crops," explains the Royal Horticultural Society. "Sow them late summer or autumn to help mop up nutrients and prevent them being washed away by winter rain... Winter grazing rye and winter tares, for example are hardy green manures that carry on growing all winter before you dig them back into the soil in spring."

Green manures should be used to cover any bare patches of soil in the spaces between crops or during periods of time where there are no crops in the ground to improve fertility and soil structure and add nutrients to your garden. Weeds will also struggle to thrive in places where the green manure has been added.

According to experts over at Gardeners' World, green manure is a better alternative than other products promising to keep your soil healthy. "Synthetic fertilisers are available and offer quick results, however they reduce the fertility of the soil in the long term as they disrupt, and eventually kill off, the fauna and microbes necessary for keeping soil healthy," they warned.

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To sow Green Manure, which can be bought from garden centres or online from as little as 89p per packet, simply measure the area you want to protect and work out the sowing rate according to the instructions. Then, scatter the seeds over prepared soil and rake them lightly into the ground to protect them from being eaten by birds.

"Ideally, you should dig in your green manure three to four weeks before planting new crops, and at least a month before sowing seed," Gardeners' World added. "This gives the manure time to rot down and return its nutrients to the soil before you use it again. However, if the crop looks like it's approaching maturity, you should dig it in sooner. Young green growth decomposes and feeds the soil in a matter of weeks but older, woody material takes longer."

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